BF Evo, future weapons

[BuShips]

This text is from Wiki about the weapon's accuracy and testing:

"Over its test and deployment history, ZEUS has eliminated more than 1,600 ordnance items of 40 different types with more than a 98% success rate.

In March 2003, ZEUS was deployed to Afghanistan for 6 months to demonstrate its countermine capabilities in a combat environment (Operation Enduring Freedom). It was used at Bagram Air Base and neutralized more than 200 munitions (including 51 in one 100 minute period) of 10 different types. At the time, the ZEUS-HLONS system was a 1/2 kilowatt laser.

In early 2004 the system was upgraded to a 1-kilowatt laser and then by late 2004 to a 2-kilowatt Yb:glass fibre-laser that is diode-pumped and operates in quasi-CW mode. This significantly reduced the overall system weight (removing about 2,000 pounds) and provided increased output beam power, which equates to extended range.

In January 2005, at the IQPC's Directed Energy Weapons conference in London. Gerald Wilson said the system takes between 5 seconds and 4 minutes (typically 30 seconds) to destroy a mine. Resulting in a clearance rate of up to 25 explosives per hour when equipped with a 0.5 kW laser."

 

[Makoto]

Suppose the infantrymen will finally get that jumppacks that were supposed to be such a hit in "early, no latwer than mid-nineties"...
Still officers will be very reluctant to risk such a specialist asset in combat conditions anyway.

And am just carefull about hoping for new inventions reaching the field.

Edit: good lord Khorne, 25 mines/hour? Now compare this to an average combat engineer... Ok, maybe not that safe, but equally fast, especially if somebody gets two to work simultanously. And should we get more of them"

 

[Hiromoon]

Actually there's talk of Kangaroo suits here in the US. Something proposed by MIT featuring a frame-work of steel around a soldier, with the entire thing run by bungee cords.


And thankyou BuShips.

 

[Alexb83]

Or indeed railguns, coilguns, or phased plasma guns?

Mate, beyond sci-fi books, there has been no practical application of that stuff. I'm talking about NON-LETHAL weapons, that militaries all over the world are actually testing. When was the last time you saw the British army, running around with a 'Phase Plasma gun'?

The point is, there /have/ been practical applications of these weapons, they are near-future, not science fiction. Phased plasma weapons were actually developed in part by DARPA to be deployed for non lethal crowd control. The only downer is that they're... a bit too lethal. And any near-term application would be mounted on a tank due to power constraints.

As for railguns and coilguns - again, they are in active military development in this very United Kingdom, as well as the U.S.

 

[Reaverman]

This text is from Wiki about the weapon's accuracy and testing:

"Over its test and deployment history, ZEUS has eliminated more than 1,600 ordnance items of 40 different types with more than a 98% success rate.

In March 2003, ZEUS was deployed to Afghanistan for 6 months to demonstrate its countermine capabilities in a combat environment (Operation Enduring Freedom). It was used at Bagram Air Base and neutralized more than 200 munitions (including 51 in one 100 minute period) of 10 different types. At the time, the ZEUS-HLONS system was a 1/2 kilowatt laser.

In early 2004 the system was upgraded to a 1-kilowatt laser and then by late 2004 to a 2-kilowatt Yb:glass fibre-laser that is diode-pumped and operates in quasi-CW mode. This significantly reduced the overall system weight (removing about 2,000 pounds) and provided increased output beam power, which equates to extended range.

In January 2005, at the IQPC's Directed Energy Weapons conference in London. Gerald Wilson said the system takes between 5 seconds and 4 minutes (typically 30 seconds) to destroy a mine. Resulting in a clearance rate of up to 25 explosives per hour when equipped with a 0.5 kW laser."

It does not matter how well it operates, it still requires a load of engineers to find the mines. Destroying the mine, or IED is the easy bit. Now if they made a vehicle that could detect mines, with a 98% efficiency, that would be useful.

IMHO, that hummer is as useful as chocolate fire guard!

 

[BuShips]

Reaverman, I see where you are coming from. A sniper has to see the target before he can kill it, right? I think some of the IEDs are found by the differences in heat retention to the surrounding ground, but I don't remember where I might have read that. I do see the lower risk factor and speed to detonating an IED once it is found though, so I still think the rig is going to be a continuing success (once they find the mines). :wink:

 

[Hash]

Guys first point you have to realise about the game is that the weapons that feature will be the typical, "in the field", standard issue for warfighting operations in the near future. i.e. if you want hints as to what will be there, take a look at current defence procurement programmes, NOT current defence research programmes and kit that is likely to be in-service in 5 - 15 years time.

Defence research works on the basis of technological readiness levels and a readiness level of 4 or 5 is a working prototype in the field...typically that has to go to 7 before procurement is considered (although govt may elect to procure on the basis of potential)

However - procurement (at least during peace time) follows MUCH later in the process, government (although increasingly now industry) fund research but it is industry that exploit it. It will take the defence industries time to take newly proven technology, even stuff with now working prototypes, to develop those technologies into a marketable product that meets a capability requirement for the military customer.

It can take years...and that is just for the intial production run that is then taken to various evaluation units and trials....it can be a *very* long time before what has been demonstrated by a prototype makes it into the hands of the military for regular use.

I'm not saying you can't go from prototype to immediate use but that doesn't happen unless there is an URGENT requirement to do so. It's still unlikely to be in regular use by standard forces.

...and I haven't even mentioned political or financial contraints that can slow things down even further.

If you want to judge how long the whole procurement cycle takes - take any piece of kit from a Main Battle Tank to a Fast-Jet aircraft that is *currently* in use by forces around the world and look back to when the technologies (or even a working prototype) were first demonstrated...you may be in for a surprise!

 

[Hiromoon]

Or you could just ask me... I'm currently employed in the US DoD as a contractor...

Basically, they plan procurement years ahead, looking forever forward for when the new stuff will be needed. Usually it takes a year for new equipment to be issued to units in cycle.

 

[Mr Evil]

Or indeed railguns, coilguns, or phased plasma guns?

Mate, beyond sci-fi books, there has been no practical application of that stuff. I'm talking about NON-LETHAL weapons, that militaries all over the world are actually testing. When was the last time you saw the British army, running around with a 'Phase Plasma gun'?

The point is, there /have/ been practical applications of these weapons, they are near-future, not science fiction. Phased plasma weapons were actually developed in part by DARPA to be deployed for non lethal crowd control. The only downer is that they're... a bit too lethal. And any near-term application would be mounted on a tank due to power constraints.

As for railguns and coilguns - again, they are in active military development in this very United Kingdom, as well as the U.S.

can i add to non leathal weapons the americans designed a rifle that flashed the enemy burning out there eye cortex, this weapon was banned instantantly by nato and the g-convention rules, the idea behind the wepon was to blind enemy troopers so there comrads would have to get them to medical help, so hiting 1 or 2 men would hamper an entire squad, as a dead soildier can be left behind but a wounded or blinded trooper needs medical attentions and his unit to protect him and move him to safty.

remember a wounded soldier is more dangerouse to your units than a dead one as he will slow you down and alter moral in a more negative manor, and cause a unit to fallback from the fight rather than push on.

 

[Rabidchild]

Sure there is, but seeing as it's a magnetic force, where would the recoil be?

In the opposite direction an object is pushed. It doesn't matter where the force comes from.

Railguns are facinating things, I wholeheartedly reccomend the wikipedia articles on both railguns and stopping power. Hours of enjoyment for geeks such as ourselves.

Here's an exerpt for the lazy:

The complexity in railgun design comes from:

1. The need for strong conductive materials with which to build the rails and projectiles; the rails need to survive the violence of an accelerating projectile, and heating due to the large currents and friction involved. The force exerted on the rails consists of a recoil force - equal and opposite to the force propelling the projectile, but along the length of the rails (which is their strongest axis) - and a sideways force caused by the rails being pushed by the magnetic field, just as the projectile is. The rails need to survive this without bending, and must be very securely mounted.
2. Power supply design. The power supply must be able to deliver large currents, with both capacitors and compulsators being common.
3. Electromechanical design. The rails need to withstand enormous repulsive forces during firing, and these forces will tend to push them apart and away from the projectile. As rail/projectile clearances increase arcing develops which causes rapid vaporization and extensive damage to the rail surfaces and the insulator surfaces. This limits most research railguns to one shot per service interval.

 

[Reaverman]

Or you could just ask me... I'm currently employed in the US DoD as a contractor...

Basically, they plan procurement years ahead, looking forever forward for when the new stuff will be needed. Usually it takes a year for new equipment to be issued to units in cycle.

Yeah,

my mate Lou Pan would be interested. Could you post him some pics, care of the Chinese embassy

 

[Hiromoon]

Nope. Sorry Reaverman. Btw, Mi5 want's to talk to you.

 

[Reaverman]

Nope. Sorry Reaverman. Btw, Mi5 want's to talk to you.

LOL :lol:

 

[BuShips]

Nope. Sorry Reaverman. Btw, Mi5 want's to talk to you.

Hiro, you are getting much too close to my "nightmare-joke" I thought of just after BFE was announced:

"This just in to the news desk- Matthew Sprange et al of British game publisher Mongoose Publishing was retained for questioning by authorities concerning a world-wide intelligence gathering network disguised as research for an entertainment product. This has also triggered a string of multi-national arrests around the world all linked to a front called an "internet forum". We will release updates on this story as we receive them."
:lol: :lol: :lol: or for those with no sense of humor- :shock: .

 

[Makoto]

Ah, so this is why I now have to dispose of two bodies in black suits...

 

[Hiromoon]

Umm.. Makoto... I think those were J. Witnesses.

Anyway, on with the future stuff!

*dig..dig*

 

[xeoran]

Ah, so this is why I now have to dispose of two bodies in black suits...

Only two, they sent 4 after me.... :wink:

 

[Makoto]

Only two, they sent 4 after me.... :wink:

Never said am hogging all the fun for myself ^^

 

[Reaverman]

Can anyone tell me what the point is, of equiping infantry with jump packs?

1. You are going to be well out of cover.
2. You will have limited armour, and no protection.
3. Lack of Avionics will mean slow progress and vulnerabilty to pylons, buildings and hills.
4. Anti Airweapons will have a field day.
5.Bad weather is going to mean you have a unit, with a load of useless equipment.

 

[xeoran]

Only two, they sent 4 after me.... :wink:

Never said am hogging all the fun for myself ^^

:lol:
I always was greedy! (Well, when it comes to fighting I am, I cannot believe the number of "Last Stand" games I've played....)